


Grayscale

by distrqcted



Category: DreamSMP, Video Blogging RPF, mcyt
Genre: Angst, Gen, Ghostbur, I adore Niki so much, Phil is Techno Wilbur and Tommy’s father, RIP Schlatt, Trying to update as often as possible, Very Wilbur centric but narrative will change, mcyt - Freeform, o7 - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27616063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/distrqcted/pseuds/distrqcted
Summary: It wasn’t a thoughtOr a passing glanceBut Earth shattering passionThat made this dead heart danceIt wasn’t a favourOr the time that was investedBut the way your eyes spoke to meMy demons were bestedBy the soft glow you giveTo fill a dark shell with hopeTo a once lost soul expectingTo be gone in a puff of smokeYet here I stand proudNever given doubt the chanceTo rob me of what I intendIn a harmonious first last dance.—Wilbur, after so long acting the coward and taking the painful way out, chose the peaceful route. He was sure of it.After being stabbed by his poor father. His father who had just flown all the way here from his adventures on tired wings, the man who raised Wilbur - and did a bloody good job at it. Had just been asked to stab his son. At his sons own request..Wilbur had chosen to die... so why was he not dead?
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Jschlatt, Clay | Dream & Eret (Video Blogging RPF), Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot, Jschlatt & Wilbur Soot, Niki | Nihachu & Wilbur Soot, Wilbur Soot & Phil Watson
Comments: 7
Kudos: 129





	1. It was a thought - Intro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small bit before the story

It had all gone to plan. Off without a hitch! His unfinished symphony, finally complete. And all it took was what? Eleven stacks of TNT which hadn’t even all gone off and a pig hybrid with a taste for blood and a distaste for government and authorities. 

That was one of the things that confused him about ‘The Blade’. His lack of loyalty led to.. certain trust issues. Wilbur supposed, that was to be expected of the infamous ‘Blood God.’ Though he had never called him that. I mean, who casually calls their brother Blood God if they’re not doing it to poke fun at him. Weird.

It felt like it had been years since he and Technoblade had starred in the tournament. He thought it felt like a lifetime ago. And maybe he was right. Wilbur Soot had lived many lifetimes. More than most.

Wilbur, Dad, Brother, General Soot, President Soot, Wilbur. Full circle. 

Maybe he was lucky in that regard. Always getting a second chance. Choosing a painful respawn over a peaceful death. Or maybe he was a coward. He knew he had been called that by many, and Wilbur was not afraid to hear it. Citizens of Dream’s kingdom saw himself and L’Manberg as nothing more than a parasite that continued to cling onto the edge of their land.

Maybe once, Wilbur would have disagreed. Maybe once, a long time ago, Wilbur would don his revolutionary uniform and march up to them and go ‘Hey. I won this land and it is rightfully mine.’ All his. After all, it was ‘ **My** L’Manberg’. Not ‘ours’. Never ‘ours’. **His**. 

_The day of Eret’s betrayal was one he could never forget nor forgive. Their supplies stripped from them, like Dream had simply taken a toy from a baby. And Eret did it for what? Power? No.. no it was a well known fact that ‘King Eret’ was not very powerful at all. Merely a puppet for the man with a smile._

> _“Eret. What do you think keeps you in ‘power’ over this kingdom?”_
> 
> _  
> _ _“Well.. I would like to think respect and ki-“_
> 
> _“ **Me** , Eret. I hold all the power here. You? You’re nothing without me. In fact!”_

_And the smiling man took back his crown. The traitor was left with nothing. That was all he deserved after all. After everything he had done, karma had finally come knocking on his big spruce doors.  
Why had he done that? Was it a long time coming? Or perhaps a decision in the heat of the moment. Either way, the man with a smile lost an ally who the people of his kingdom were happy to talk to that morning._

_And that morning the citizens of Pogtopia so quickly trusted a man with a history of going behind their backs, that they were blind to the dangers standing beside them. Ironic, really. It’s always the ones who you trust the most. The ones you look up to._

The time of Wilbur and Technoblade’s betrayal of their ‘friends’ came shortly after the end of the ‘final’ battle. Well in Wilbur’s opinion it should have been obvious. He literally admitted to it. In front of the entirety of the two armies and one dying president. When Dream lied he was just as surprised as everyone else. Looking over at Techno, who was usually as hard to read by his face alone, was surprised. Most in the room were relieved by this news, sighing and putting down their weapons (those who’s weren’t still pointed at Schlatt at least.)  
But one look over at Wilbur, and Wilbur giving him a confirming nod back let Technoblade know that plan B was still in motion. That the withers were going to be spawned. Because by now Wilbur had realised that even if he was still on the ‘right side of history’, he would still be the bad guy in the history books. Children, his son, would learn of the horrors he inflicted in the years to come. Maybe that was what he deserved. He wasn’t a good guy - far from it. He never had been. Never satisfied with what he had, always desiring more. 

And what about that president, huh? J. Schlatt. In all the years he had known him Wilbur had never bothered to find out what the J stood for - if anything at all. They had been friends, once. Adventuring together, have fun in a place rather similar to this. Or escaping floods and lava. Or watching from the sidelines as Schlatt played god with some people he usually called friends. For a brief moment he wished they could again. Go back to the days where he and Schlatt were a team in the tournament - and with no Technoblade for protection.  
J. Schlatt, a dictator who ordered the public execution of a child. But a man who also brought at least some kind of stability to his ‘Manberg’. Because ‘Oh we don’t take L’s here Soot.’ Really, what a pretentious asshole.

_In his final moments, all he could feel for the man was pity. And he hated it. He was Wilbur **fucking** Soot! Traitor to Pogtopia, rightful owner of L’Manberg. The **maniac** who wanted to raise it all to the god damned ground. The.. coward. The coward who when seconds away from winning still could not accept victory. Not like this. Schlatt had clearly been drinking. Well he had an almost empty bottle of some kind of ‘Badlands Brew’ from what he could tell. This man, the ‘tyrant’ who claimed Wilbur’s land, had never seemed so pathetic and small._

> _“AND WHERE WERE YOU IN MY HOUR OF NEED? Wh- Wait. Does.. anybody smell toast?”_
> 
> _Wilbur couldn’t help himself from smiling. No, not smiling. He was positively beaming. There was no way this was happening. This had to be an act, until.._
> 
> _“I- I can’t feel my arm-“ Smash. The bottle dropped, and shortly after its drinker followed._
> 
> _“Help me.. please.”_

_‘What a sad little life Schlatt’, Wilbur had thought to himself. And before he knew it, the ‘president’s’ body had stopped convulsing. He was dead. And there was a silence._

_The lonely god, alone even in death. Wilbur was sure one of the darkest pits in hell had just opened up for him. So Schlatt best not keep the devil waiting._

_It wasn’t out of respect, no. More a shock. Quackity was the first to show any sign of regret. Not for what he had done, but for not comforting the poor ram hybrid in his last moments in the mortal realm. It had been Alex who Schlatt had extended his arm towards moments before his death, after all. And the young man slowly knelt down beside his old friend’s body and closed his eyes._  
  


These scenes kept playing over and over in Wilbur’s mind. The whole war had - both wars in fact. But, he supposed that was the problem, wasn’t it?

Wilbur, after so long acting the coward and taking the painful way out, chose the peaceful route. He was sure of it.

  
After being stabbed by his poor father. His father who had just flown all the way here from his adventures on tired wings, the man who raised Wilbur - and did a bloody good job at it. Had just been asked to stab his son. At his sons own request as well..

Wilbur had chosen to **die**... so why was he not dead?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will continue! Schools a little hectic but I have a plan babeyy


	2. A passing glance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur finds his way to a familiar place and meets a familiar friend.

It was… odd to say the least. He could stand. He could walk. He could talk. He could float too(that was the strangest by far.) All your typical run of the mill ghost ‘abilities’. Were they abilities? The spectre wasn’t too sure what to call them. One thing he did notice, however, was that there was a massive hole in his abdomen. Huh. _That’s what you get for getting stabbed I guess._

But the thing Wilbur was most concerned about was his location. It was a small island in the middle of the ocean. Just his luck he supposed. And Wilbur had set off in one direction, just floating above the water, not a care in the world. Something he thought was odd was his new form. Sure, some parts of his body were a little transparent now - but that was not what he was referring to. His hands appeared to be a new colour. Gray. He would say he wasn’t sure that was a colour people were supposed to be, but at the best of times his brother was an odd shade of pink - though that seemed to come with being a hybrid. And then there was BadBoyHalo. Wilbur had never been quite sure what exactly he ‘was’ per se. He wasn’t human, he had stated that on multiple occasions. Looking too closely at him, sometimes, felt like Wilbur was staring into the void itself. 

Maybe he would ask Bad. Could he ask Bad? Could he even get home? Well heres to trying, right? 

Two moons later and he finally saw it, he had arrived at close to midnight, and oh what a sight it was. Docks. The docks. Was this just luck? Just a good guess? Or had Notch been on his side, in death he supposed that’s how it should’ve been anyway. Scrambling to stop floating Wilbur set his feet down on the wooden planks below him. He was terrified he would sink right though, and fall and fall and fall until he landed in the void.

_Children were told stories of the void, told to stay away. But no one had actually been there. How could they? What with the bedrock. It was rumoured that is was where the God’s lived. Notch and Jeb and.._

_H̷̛͎̩͓͑͑̾͆͐̋̃̑̓̕͠e̸̗̻͇̟̯̪̗̾̎͋͠r̷̹͆̓͆͊̄͋̃̌̈́̋͘̚͝ŏ̴͔̼̼͈̈̇̀̑̈̋͊̇̊̿̒̈́͒͝b̵̫̥͂̓̈́̄̏̾͠r̸̡̻̝̩̮̣͕͊̾̓͒̎ḯ̷̳͕̟̓͌̓̈̄̎͊̔͝n̵̞̈́̀͌̒ȩ̸͙̯̏̄̈̓̏̿̿́͒͝͝_

_Now that! That was name children were taught never to say in fear of summing him at their sleep-overs as they exchanged stories of frights._

As Wilbur walked along the promenade and passed the buildings along the L’Manberg docks he could’ve sworn he saw something. Nothing important, he assumed, but something. A shadow, a figure, an entity.. There had been something. He half floated half jogged over to the house in which he had seen it in the window. But of course there was nothing there - as he expected. All he saw was himself, and the sight he saw was surprising to say the least. No longer in his long coat and boots Wilbur wore clothes that resembled what he was more commonly known to wear in his younger years. A bright yellow sweater (that appeared to have a sword shaped slit but no blood thankfully) , black trousers and a pair of simple trainers, and he couldn’t forget the bright red beanie that sat atop his head. The man hadn’t even noticed it was there. Maybe that was because he wasn’t feeling very much at all, his new gray hues not helping the thought that maybe if he sat in front of a fire he would forever be cold. _He was so cold..._

Wilbur couldn’t shake the feeling something had his eyes on him.

“Wil..?” Wilbur quickly spun around from where he was standing in front of the window to see Niki in front of her bakery. In his surprise he lost his balance and whilst trying to lean on the wall for balance fell right through and yet remained on the floor. Odd. _Wilbur made a mental note to review this stuff later._ But this was not the time! He hop- no he didn’t hop.. he ,, floated,, himself back up and continued to glide over to where Niki, standing seemingly awe struck, was. If he didn’t know her any better, and he was lucky that he did, he would say she had been crying. And the fact she- oh. She held Wilbur’s singed coat in her hands. “Hello..!” The ghost tried to have a little enthusiasm in his voice. “..Wilbur?”   
“Yes, that’s- that’s me!”

Well now he had a choice didn’t he? Should he own up to his crimes or feign innocence? The second seemed more preferable in the current moment, so he chose it. 

“Wil how are you here?”   
“What do you mean Niki? This is L’Manberg. M- Our country. Should I not?”

He could see her analysing everything about him, from his new form to his words. She was clearly unsatisfied with his answers, and even more so upset. “Y-You died. We all saw it.” _We all wanted it._ “Why did you do it Wil?” For a moment he thought it was the dim light of the street lamps creating the effect, but it seemed like Niki was tearing up. And Wilbur was not sure what to do. “Eheh, I’m sorry Niki but I don’t understand. I mean yes I know I died and all, but what do you mean ‘why did I do it?’ Choose not to respawn?” And he had said too much. In a flash Niki swiftly stepped forward and attempted to hug him, instead she ended up walking straight through him. They could see by each other’s faces no one liked that. Niki appeared to be shivering, and Wilbur felt as if he was burning up. “Would you like to come inside..?” 

What, like he was going to say no? Once inside, one of Wilbur’s worries seemed to come true. There was a fire raging in one of Niki’s baking furnaces, but he could feel no heat from it at all. Still, Wilbur sat down by it. Or at least he had tried to. Now he just seemed to be cross-legged while in the air. That would do. Niki had come and stood nearby, but Wilbur noticed she had a hand behind her back. _Did she have a sword..?_ “So… Wilbur. This may be a little out there but do you not remember what happened?” He did. Of course he did. But as he had decided before, he would not deal with the consequences of this. Not yet. “No, I don’t remember what happened I’m afraid. But I could… make you a list?” 

This would be a test as well as a list for himself to remind himself what he now couldn’t mention. Niki handed him a book and quill and thankfully he seemed to be able to use them just fine. It felt a little draining - but otherwise just fine. His list ended up as follows;

The smell of bread

L’Manberg

The Revolution

Bullying Tommy (my brother who is a child)

Sparring with Techno as a kid

The wind

Being president

People cheering for me

Fundy growing up

_Niki_

The van

Tubbo building everything

Phil protecting me

Sally the salmon hybrid

Philza stabbing me to death with a sword

A large explosion

The taste of salt

Air in my lungs

Winning the election

A ravine

Techno’s armoury

He ended up listing more than he felt she should have. But he left out all mentions of Pogtopia and Schlatt. Those were two things he didn’t want to talk about - as well as his actions of course. Niki’s brow was furrowed. She looked concerned, certainly confused, and Wilbur could see hurt in there too. So much hurt. _I’m sorry Niki_. The spectre had opted to put her on the list. And when she read it he could’ve sworn he saw a small spark of joy in her eyes. Well.. Where could he be without Niki Nihachu after all? Dead on a battlefield during the revolution that’s where. So would all the core members of L’Manberg’s founding days.

“And this is really everything..?”

“Really truly honestly everything yes.”

“You swear?”

“Not much to swear on I’m dead but yes.”

“Ha.. right. Would you like to stay here for the night? I can set up a bed or you can.. float?”

“You know what I will take you up on that offer-! Thank you Niki.”

“Of course, Wil.”

A little while later after an attempt (and a fail) at lying down on the ground , Wilbur found himself on his back in the air. He couldn’t sleep a wink. Assuming he would be straight out after two days without sleep would be logical wouldn’t it? Perhaps ghosts couldn’t sleep. That would be something he’d miss. Looking over he could see tha Niki slept somewhat soundly on her bed. He could still see it in her face that she was troubled. It gave him an awful feeling inside, the kind that you couldn’t shake very easily.  
The feeling from earlier was back. The one he had assumed was Niki. That couldn’t be good. Slowly and cautiously he lifted his head up to take a peak of what he could see of the outside. And there was the shadow again. Taunting him. Wilbur managed to stand and walked outside, peering out. Well now glad he didn’t make footsteps anymore. The shadow seemed further from him now, so he took another few steps out. But he had been a little too focused on making sure he didn’t fall through the floor to notice the shadow had moved, now directly behind him. 

Wilbur could feel the breath of the other on the back of his neck. Wait.. _he could feel it_. That wasn’t right. A hand made a solid connection with his shoulder. It felt peculiar, but not bad. Opting not to see who it was, he let them make the first move. It’s not like he could get hurt, he was assuming anyway. 

“Soot.”

_He knew that voice._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Any kudos are greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to comment any suggestions or let me know who you think the new arrival is! 
> 
> I’m sorry this isn’t exactly expertly written, but I’ve tried my best and I thank you for listening to my ramblings, ha!
> 
> Fun fact! That list is canon, it’s in a book in Ghostbur’s library!
> 
> \- Trqc


	3. His world shattered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected visit, from an unlikely friend.

“Soot.” 

This.. no. No he was imagining things. Surely not. She was gone. She was lost a long time ago. Lost to the boundless ocean, to be where she could be happy. _Without him_.

The grip on his shoulder let up after a moment, finding its way down his arm to his hand. But no matter how hard he willed himself to, Wilbur couldn’t move. The man was frozen in place. It seemed.. she could sense how he was feeling, (she was always good at reading him like that.)

“S-Sal-“

  
“Shhh.. It’s alright Wilbur, you don’t have to talk.”

“But... But I-“

He felt some of the tension that had built up in his joints subside, as the figure next to him moved, walking slowly until she was in front of him - her whole body illuminated by the moonlight. To him, as she always had, Sally looked positively angelic. Though she was still clearly a hybrid, a group of people often shunned by society, the patches of scales on her skin and the prominent gills on her neck gave her away. Her long, fiery hair, now a light shade of grey, moved lightly in the breeze. In fact, in a similar manner to himself, all but her soft green eyes and ‘classic’ aqua sundress kept their usual hue. But something.. yes something was wrong. Niki had ran straight through him, leaving him untouchable. But Sally was clearly not having the same ordeal. Well actually now that Wilbur thought about it, a few parts of her body looked a little faded - actually rather close to transparent. And- Oh. Oh no.

“Oh Sal…” After practically forcing himself to take a breath, or at least pretending to, Wilbur found he had his body back. Automatically, he leant forward and gently wrapped his arms around her. It felt.. nice. Being able to touch a living being and not simply sinking through their corporeal form as he had with Niki. “It’s alright Wil… Let’s take a walk, shall we?” 

Sally moved to stand by his side and hooked her arm with his. She lead them down the docks, slowly getting further away from Niki as they spoke. 

“So-“

“Before you say anything I just.. I wanted to say I’m proud of you. Proud of your nation. And of our son.” _That felt a little out of the blue._ “Oh- Well, thank you. I suppose I am too. Definitely of Fundy if nothing else. I assume you’ve been.. around?”

”That’s one way to put it yes.” 

“Why did you not let me know that you were there..?” The woman sighed, and stopped their walking to turn and face Wilbur. “Only when true pain has been experienced will the living be able to see the dead. Wil.” 

“But surely I could’ve seen you. The war for independence was-“

“Bloody. Brutal. And full of hardships - I know. Now.. you won’t like me for saying this. But. You put them through hell, Wilbur. You’re the one one who destroyed their homes right in front of their eyes, and betrayed the _children_ who had followed you blindly for years.” 

Ah. There it was. That feeling Wilbur was trying desperately to avoid. The guilt, and the pain of having to live with the consequences of his actions. Which, of course, was never the plan at all. With a rather tired sigh, he sat down with ease at the edge of the walkway (finding that not thinking about it too hard led to him being able to sit again. How helpful,) and dangled his legs into the water. Not that he could feel it. That was something he would miss.

Once he had everything about sea life, whales especially. Once he even set up a whale fact shop. It never made any money, but it was a good time.

He heard a shuffling noise beside him, and saw out of the corner of his eye that Sally had sat down next to him. What time was it now? He wasn’t sure. The sun had begun to poke out from the water on the horizon. It felt too early. It must be, right? Though Wilbur would admit, recently he had lost track of the date. It had been irrelevant. Unnecessary. 

The silence between the two felt deafening, only the light seawash keeping him feeling calm. He did not want to be the one who broke the silence - he hoped Sally could tell. And as luck had it she could. “I died in a raid.” Well that wasn’t what he was expecting her to say. “A raid..?” He didn’t know that there were.. underwater pillagers..?

“Yes, a raid. But likely not the kind you’re picturing. When I left, I did not need to swim very far to find a town in the ocean full of life. No humans, a society of hybrids and non hostile mobs. It was nice, you know? Finding a place where you were accepted. And before you say anything, I know Dream’s kingdom is against the slander people like me, people like our son have to live with… But that doesn’t change the fact it wasn’t right for me.”

She paused for a minute, her eyes seeming less vibrant, now almost glazed over as she stared toward the rising sun. And if he wasn’t mistaken the transparency that had only consumed a little of the hybrid's body was growing. “It was a regular day. We had no warning - nothing at all. I had been about town.. I don’t remember why. But I suppose it’s unimportant. They came in waves, drowned marching on the seafloor, throwing their tridents at anyone who stayed in their line of sight for a little too long. And I.. Unfortunately.. Met an end that way. It’s not exciting, it was no battle. It’s just.. a little tragic.” 

“How long ago was this..?”

“A year. A year exactly this morning. Heh. I’m glad I got to talk to you again Wilbur, one last time for old times sake.” The woman had stood up now, and he quickly jumped up as she had, placing a hand on her shoulder as she had to him earlier in the night. “What do you mean..? Surely now we can spend eternity together.. can’t we?” And she laughed, oh how he had missed that laugh. With an almost invisible hand she took his in hers and shook her head, looking down at the water solemnly. “One year, Wil. It’s all we get. Threehundred and sixty five days. Threehundred and sixty five days to make up for past mistakes. Threehundred and sixty five days to come to terms with everything. And it will be sad. Because that’s it - the drip finally stops. And it’s sad. It’s always going to be sad, and that’s good. It mean’s you’re feeling.” 

And he understood. Wilbur wished he didn’t, that he could push this all away to the back of his mind and not have to think about it - but it was all he could think about. This was the most alive his brain had felt since he awoke. “Hold me, Wil. As I go. Please..” He could practically feel his undead heart ripping in two inside of his ghostly body. Taking a step back, he took a final look at her, _she always looked beautiful_ , and then quickly snatched her up into a tight embrace. _When was the last time he had hugged someone properly_? She was holding him back, just as tightly. Falling to his knees, neither of their grips faltered as she went down with him. Tears were falling from his eyes like a waterfall now. There was no shame in it. Because it would always be sad. Because that’s now this whole life thing worked - or was supposed to at the very least. 

—

Wilbur hadn’t moved. He knew she was gone, there was nothing held tightly against him, only his arms. Looking up at the horizon with watery eyes he attempted to wipe his tear stained face with his sleeve. He supposed it had worked as his face, not that it had been feeling very much, felt lighter than before. Finally standing up, Wilbur’s gaze didn’t shift from the rising sun. Now he was dead it didn’t hurt to state at. Not that it surprised him.  
“A year huh…” He mumbled to himself as he walked himself back into Niki’s bakery, to the spot he had been trying to sleep in before. His host was still asleep thankfully, if he had disturbed her then no positive emotion would be added to the pile he felt he was under.

As he found himself floating on his back, Wilbur closed his eyes, and in the wind he swore he heard a whisper.

_“Remember me, my Sooty boy.”_

And as a solitary tear fell from his eye, he found himself drifting off into unconsciousness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I just wished to say thank you for the 500+ hits and all the kudos! I appreciate every single person who reads my horrible work. Any suggestions, comment em! That’s all from me for now! 
> 
> \- Trqc <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading the first chapter! I have proper story planned for this, and I hope to have the next chapter out soon.
> 
> I’m not a very good writer, but I do have a story I want to tell. It will probably go off canon - no it’s definitely going off canon but not too far. And I mean how could I not write about Ghostbur?
> 
> Anyway, any comments and kudos left will be greatly appreciated! <3  
> \- Trqct


End file.
